South African human rights and environmental groups have urged the government to block Israeli-linked Navitas Petroleum from acquiring a stake in a major offshore oil block, citing concerns over the war in Gaza and environmental risks.
Navitas applied in May to acquire a 37.5 per cent stake in a block in the Orange Basin off South Africa’s west coast, according to media reports.
In a letter to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, the South African BDS Coalition and several environmental groups argued that approving the deal would contradict Pretoria’s position on Israel and the Palestinians.
The groups said granting Navitas access to a strategic South African resource could generate income benefiting Israeli investors and financial institutions.
Iqbal Jassat of the Johannesburg-based Media Review Network also urged the government to reject the company’s involvement.
“We deplore and oppose the Israeli-owned energy firm gaining a foothold in any part of South Africa's coastline,” Jassat told Anadolu, arguing that it conflicted with Pretoria’s stance over the war in Gaza.
South Africa has emerged as one of Israel’s strongest international critics over the Gaza war. In December 2023, Pretoria brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention. Israel has rejected allegations that it is committing genocide.
Campaigners also argued that further offshore oil development would contribute to climate change and pose long-term risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
The Orange Basin, stretching along the coasts of South Africa and neighbouring Namibia, has emerged as a major oil and gas exploration frontier following significant discoveries in recent years.
President Cyril Ramaphosa last month described it as “one of the world’s most promising new energy frontiers”.
The dispute also comes amid wider scrutiny of offshore exploration in South Africa. Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that the British oil and gas company Shell could not continue exploration along the ecologically sensitive Wild Coast, following a years-long legal challenge by environmental groups and local communities concerned about the impact of seismic surveys.
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Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments.
Israel and Colombia will waive advance visa requirements for travellers from 1 September as the two countries move to restore diplomatic and economic relations following years of tensions over the war in Gaza.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
The United States imposed fresh sanctions on Hezbollah on Thursday, redesignating the Lebanese group over what Washington described as its actions on behalf of the Iranian government and targeting 10 people accused of moving cash for the group.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
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